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[abdinny]

I have an on campus interview next week at a SLAC, during which time I'm scheduled to have lunch with some students - undergrads, that is.  I've found posts on this forum regarding interview questions that grad students might ask, but what kinds of questions do you think undergrads might have? 

Cheers,
ABDinNY

[pink_]

When I had lunch with the undergrads, they didn't really have any questions for me.  Instead it was a chance for me to get to know them.  I asked them questions about the campus and the town, what they found most challenging about going to school at that SLAC . . .  that kind of thing.

[reluctant]

To be safe prepare some questions for them.  Why did they decide to major in X field?  What do they like to read in classes?  Likely they will be impressive students or they would not be invited to lunch.  Other times I've had students ask me a lot of questions, including those otherwise considered "inappropriate!"  I just laugh them off and say I can't tell you that!

[not_a_gradstudent1]

I had lunch with about 10 undergrads at one SLAC interview. There was a fire drill in the middle, which was kind of awkward, especially since it was like 25 degrees outside. Aside from that, it was fine and really low pressure. Most of their questions were about courses I'd teach, what grad school is like, and why I'm interested in the things I research. One question they had that made me stop and think for a minute was something like, "is there a book you really like that you think doesn't get the play it deserves among professors in this field?" I asked them mostly about their senior theses, what they like/don't like about the school and town, and what they like/don't like about the department's (somewhat untraditional) major curriculum.

[abdinny]

All of your suggestions are really helpful!!  Just what I was looking for.  Yes, I'll prepare some questions for them as well.  Great idea.  Thanks!

[notranslation]

At my undergrad. lunches, the students were really quiet and didn't ask me any questions really. I took it as an opportunity to show them (and the faculty) that I was taking an interest in their lives. I asked them what they did on weekends, what kinds of extracurriculars they were involved in, if there were any clubs related to their major, why they were majoring in my field, what they thought about life at X College/University, did they like the city/town where the college was, etc. etc. The students often give away a lot more inside information than I think the SC plans for. On one instance, I was told some about the prof. who was leaving (and whose job I would be replacing). I was told about the lack of interesting things to do on weekends in the community, etc. The SC tends to paint a rosy picture of things for the candidate while the students are more upfront. I really enjoyed meeting with undergrads. at lunch -- plus, in a way it was a nice break from the stress.

[voxprincipalis]

To put in the flip side, when I had this during my last job interview (also at a SLAC, and fortunately I got the job), the students asked a LOT of questions. Of course, music as a discipline has issues that other departments don't necessarily (how do you plan to recruit for the area, how do you plan to increase our visibility on campus as a department, etc.), but be prepared for them to ask you all kinds of stuff.

Also, undergrads are much less savvy than grads about knowing what kinds of questions are appropriate vs. inappropriate. This shows up in two main ways:

1. Questions about things that are out of your area: "If you come here, will we get more money for the undergrad lab in X?" or "If you come here, are you going to change the way people teach Y?", etc.

2. Questions about personal stuff. My students asked me if I was married, etc. Be prepared for them not to know where the boundaries are, and have an answer ready that gives the amount of info you want them to have but that doesn't make them feel like you're yelling at them.

Finally, have at the ready a really short version of your job talk or research statement or whatever is appropriate for your field, at a level geared for undergrads, some of whom may not be in your field.

VP

[frenchbob]

As an undergrad, a few students and I had lunch with a candidate for a TT job and we did ask questions that were of concern to us. Our department's course offerings were very narrow, and we asked him if he were to teach at our school, what he would be teaching, and how  often he thought courses should be offered. It was basically a chance for us to bring up our own problems with the department and see how he'd respond.

[jrscholar]

I would suggest that you don't try to be "hip" around them.  When I was a grad student rep on a search committee, one of the candidates had a similar session with students and, somehow, he brought up his love for college sports and the pleasures of tailgating.  From the reports we received back, some found no problem in this, but others saw it as an attempt to come off as "cool" and weren't impressed (nor were some of the faculty).

[threefive]

But I actually DO like college sports and tailgating!

[jrscholar]

As do I.  And at some schools, it might work to talk about this.  Just not at my alma mater, apparently. 

[newontt]

On my first interview I had lunch with undergraduates in my major area. They asked very good questions. One that demonstrated their knowledge of the tenure process:

"Since you have to do research to acheive tenure, how will you balance teaching and research and availability to students" and "What would you prioritize"?

A